The Rebirth of Aang
by Avatar Rikki
Summary: AU story about Aang's death and Korra's birth. Sokka is preparing for the birth of his great grandchild when he finds out his best friend is dying. Writing began pre - broadcast and finished post - broadcast. The only things canon are the names. More detail inside.


**So 3 years ago, before Legend of Korra aired, the only information they told us was that all of the old characters were dead. And that Aang and Katara had an airbending son. No names except Korrra were given. This story was started during the dark ages between ATLA and LOK. So its an alternate universe. Enjoy. **

* * *

It started out as any normal day. Well, it was a little different. I mean, it wasn't every day you got to prepare for your first great-granddaughter's arrival into the world. Well, we assumed it was a girl. It could have just as easily been a boy. That would have been embarrassing. Imagine little Sokka II in a dress.

…..Yes I do believe they should name their child after me. Four kids and ten grandkids, not one of them named Sokka. Shameful, just shameful.

Anyway, my beautiful, wonderful wife and I were preparing to travel to my granddaughter's house where she had started to go into labor. We were excited. We never believed we would get to see our great-grandchildren. Growing older and slower made me wonder if I could stay alive to see my grandkids. Traveling with the Avatar during my youth made me wonder if I'd even live to have kids at all. But this was the present and I was alive. I was totally ready to see my great-grandchild.

Then the letter came.

I remember it came by wind mail, the fastest way to send letters. It was very rare for people to get wind mail, since only airbenders could send it, though Teo and his son were working on an invention that could fix that. You needed to be able to create a strong enough wind to make the letter travel. The longer the distance it needed to travel, the stronger the wind needed to be. The same went for speed.

Anyway, I knew something must have been wrong. Only two people could send the letter, Aang and his son Tenzin. The letter wasn't going fast enough to be from Aang. Suki voiced what I didn't want to say.

"What's wrong with Aang?"

* * *

We ran as fast as we could to the hot-air balloon we used for emergencies. It was pretty fast and reliable but it still felt like it took forever to get to the Southern Air Temple. On the ride there, I read over the letter Katara had sent.

_Aang is dying._

It wasn't really a letter. More like a note, a sentence really. But it didn't matter. The only thing I could read was that Aang was dying. Aang couldn't be dying. He was only 67. Gran-gran was 96 before she died. Aang was the Avatar. He was married to a healer. He should be living longer.

I don't think the balloon had even touched the ground before I was jumping off, leaving Suki to tie the balloon down. I ran past the empty buildings that were still falling apart, even with Aang's attempts at fixing them. I ran up the stairs, making sure to jump over the ones that were crumbling. At 70, this was a pretty terrific feat. But my new strength and speed was not in my head right now.

Once I got to the top, I saw Tenzin sitting in front of Aang and Katara's bedroom door. He had his head in his hands, and he didn't look so good. He looked at me when he heard me getting closer and shook his head. I walked past him and entered the room. In the room I could see my sister, her hands over Aang. She looked like she was trying to heal him…and it didn't look like it was working.

"It's not going to work if you're crying the whole time." She looked up at me when she said this. I don't think she figured I'd get there that fast but she seemed glad that I did. She ran towards me and I gave her one of those sibling hugs that seem to fix everything. But I knew it wasn't going to fix this.

"I've tried everything I could think of but he isn't getting better." She was sobbing at this point. I didn't blame her. I wanted to cry too but being the big brother meant having to stay strong.

I hate being the big brother.

* * *

An hour later and nothing had changed. Aang's breathing was still shallow and he still had a fever. The only thing different were the amount of people gathered around him. Kya and Bumi had arrived but they seemed just at a loss for what to as their mother and brother. Zuko and Mai had arrived in some sort of new flying ship. I don't even think it was even available to the general public yet. It must be nice to be the Fire Lord.

Haru and Toph had sent a letter back saying there were coming as quick as they could. Pipsqueak and The Duke hadn't arrived either but we figured they were on the way with Teo. My grandson-in-law had also sent a letter saying that Senna was still in labor and, as soon as the baby was born, they would let us know.

"I'm here." I turned around to see Ty Lee bouncing in. Well, bouncing in wasn't the best term to use. She was out of breath and she seemed to be crying. Who would have thought Ty Lee could be sad…for Aang.

"Hi Ty Lee." Katara sounded just like Mai when she said that. I don't think she fully knew what was going on around. Either that or she didn't care. All she was doing now was stroking Aang's head.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Ty Lee looked helpless. Actually, we all felt helpless. It didn't seem like there was anything we could do. All that was left to do was wait…and none of us wanted to do that.

Another four hours past and nothing had changed. All of our friends had arrived but Senna had still not given birth. I don't know what was taking that baby so long but the suspense was killing me. I was about to lose my best friend. I didn't need to add losing my eldest granddaughter to that list too.

"I'm sure Senna will be fine Sokka." Suki put a hand on my shoulder, trying to reassure me that everything was going to be alright. I had a hard time believing her. "I'm sure that baby is just too comfortable in her mother's womb right now to come out. She's stubborn…like her great-grandfather."

"Hey, I am not stubborn." I wasn't. I don't know why everyone keeps saying that. Sure, I like things to be comfortable, but if it was causing someone else to be anxious then I would give it up…maybe…okay probably not. Hey, I like to be comfy.

"Sorry Sokka, but it is true." I stuck my tongue out at Toph. It didn't matter that I was 70. I could still act childish if I wanted to.

"Takes one to know one." Ha! I had her there.

"Well duh. To be able to move earth you need to be earth and earth is pretty stubborn." So much for getting back at her. I made a face and everyone laughed…including Aang.

"Aang!" We all ran to bed he was lying in. I don't think he liked everyone screaming his name, but he smiled up at us anyway.

"Hey guys." He sounded weak when he said that. I mean, he was old but he always acted young. Now it sounded like his death was so close. It scared us more than it probably scared him.

"How ya feelin' Twinkletoes?" Aang smiled at his nickname.

"Must you always call me that?" Toph laughed, but I think it was more to reassure herself than because it was funny.

"I'll never stop calling you that. You'll always be Twinkletoes to me." Aang smiled at that. But Toph wasn't finished. "You've always been light on your feet, from the first moment I met you. When we were fighting at Earth Rumble VI, it almost felt like you were dancing. I thought you were mocking me. But I liked it. It was different. It was…unique. It helped out a lot later. It's the only way I can find you in large crowds. Just think of it as my way of showing how much I care about you."

"Wow, that's so sweet Toph."

"I agree with Aang. Who knew you could be so deep, Toph." She smiled when I said this but the smile didn't reach her eyes. I wasn't sure why until I realized where her hand was. She was holding on to Aang's left hand. She could feel his heartbeat and she knew what was happening. Aang really was dying. I looked up and locked eyes with Zuko. He had seen what I had seen. This was the end.

"Well I try." Toph hadn't seen our little exchange. Wait, she couldn't see at all…I got to remember that.

"Hey Zuko, what are you doing here? Don't you have some special "fire-lordy" things you need to do?" Zuko laughed at this.

"I think the Avatar is more important." Aang looked sad at this but Zuko just smiled. "But I'm not here to see the Avatar. I'm here to see my best friend." Aang smiled at this. I had noticed that Zuko looked nervous. It seemed like he wanted to say something like Toph said but wasn't sure how to do that without freaking out anyone else.

"Who would have thought Aang would become best friends with Zuko?" Aang gave a weak laugh that made everyone's hearts fall into our stomachs. He was starting to get weaker.

"Stop trying to tiptoe around me guys." Everyone looked at Aang confused. "I know I'm dying." That made Katara weep. She had finally broken down.

"No Aang, you can't. I won't let you." She was frantic to find something to do to stop it.

"It's my time Katara. It's time for me to go." Katara's eyes were filled with tears and she kept shaking her head. She didn't want to accept it. None of us did.

"It's not your time to go Aang. Your only 67."

"I agree with Haru, Aang. You are way too young to be dying from old age." Katara had smiled at me when I had said that. She probably felt good that maybe it wasn't her healing that wasn't working.

"Actually, I'm 167." I always seem to forget that. "Dying so young is probably just a long term side-effect from being in that iceberg for so long. The spirit world needs me. The next avatar is coming."

"I'm going to kill Ta Min for putting that thought in everyone's head." Aang had closed his eyes and moaned when Zuko said this.

"Don't blame your daughter for this. She is very…insightful. She sees things most people don't see…or don't want to see anyway."

"I don't care. The spirit world isn't going to take you away just because some stupid child is ready to take your place."

"She isn't stupid. She's going to be a great Avatar."

"We don't care Aang." I agreed with Suki. We didn't care who the next Avatar was. All we wanted was our best friend.

"You're an amazing warrior Suki. Both you, Ty Lee, and Mai can win in any fight, even though you can't bend." Suki, Ty Lee, and Mai smiled when Aang said this. It was nice to hear praise coming from the Avatar himself.

"I know we had our differences in the past. I mean, the first thing I did to you was knock you off your feet onto the cold ice. I'm glad we got past that Zuko." Zuko laughed one laugh before he smiled at Aang.

"Me too. At the time I thought you were a nuisance and a real pain. I'm kind of glad you were better than me. If you weren't, I would have caught you a long time ago and things would be completely different. You were not just some little kid who didn't know anything."

"Why thank you Zuko." Aang made a big smile at this. I guess we all don't really act our ages.

"Its funny how Sokka didn't like me at first either." I had let my jaw hang open at this.

"Not true." Toph laughed when I said that.

"I can tell you're lying." I hate it when she does that.

"I'm glad you're my brother-in-law Sokka. You're brave and are always making me laugh, even when I'm sad and tired."

"Well that's me. I'm the brave clown of the group."

"You're not just that Sokka. You were an amazing map reader. Without you, I don't think we could have gotten anywhere."

"Thanks Aang." I was trying to be strong. It was taking every ounce of my strength to keep from crying.

"Tenzin, make sure to copy those airbending scrolls a million times and put them in different places around the world."

"I know Father. I'm even thinking about putting them on the walls of the air temples."

"That's smart thinking son." Aang smiled and that was when I realized that the time was drawing near. This was the moment.

"Aang…" Katara felt unsure. I don't think she wanted to think about what was about to happen.

"Katara, I love you so much. You were the first thing I saw after coming out of that iceberg. I'm glad the first thing I saw was so beautiful." Katara blushed when Aang said this. He sure had a way with the ladies, that was for sure.

"Oh Aang." She was crying harder than before. I didn't even know that was possible. "I love you too. I looked into your eyes and they were filled with so much joy and hope. I could feel such a connection with you and I never wanted it to end. Please don't go." She kissed him on the lips after she said that. Normally when they would kiss it would make me uneasy but at that moment, it didn't bother me.

"I'm sorry. It's time. The avatar is coming," he said. He looked at me when he said it. "I love you all. Please don't miss me too much." With that, he left us. He had taken his last breath. We heard Appa outside the window make a loud, long moan. We figured it was his way of announcing his master's death. The Avatar was dead. The world was on its own.

It felt like we had stood there for hours. Later we realized it was probably not that long at all because eventually a letter came by messenger hawk. The birth was a success…our great-granddaughter Korra had been born.

* * *

We didn't go home right away, though. First we had to…to…well we had to bury Aang. It was probably the hardest thing I ever did. Since Aang was the Avatar and he had died naturally, he had a more unusual burial. First, Katara had to bend water around Aang like a cone. Then Toph bended some rocks that went up and down around the cone. Zuko then bended some fire cone around the water cone. Finally Tenzin made an air cone around the other two cones. I actually really don't remember what happened. I was too out of it. I was surprised Katara was so composed. She looked so determined while she was bending. Anyway after the cones of magic were created, we all watched them get smaller and smaller until they touched his…his…his body. Then we all gasped as this bright light shot up into the sky. Tenzin, Katara, and Zuko stopped bending. I guess Toph felt them stop and she stopped to. When the bendy stuff stopped though, the body was gone.

"He's gone." I gave my little sister a big squeeze. Aang had gone to the spirit world.

We arrived back at the South Pole two days later. Katara had wanted to come with us to see Korra but Suki didn't think she was ready to travel just yet. Tenzin didn't come with us. I think the last time I saw him was right after the funeral. Katara said he was hanging out with Oogi. I guess it made sense. Tenzin was the last airbender. He probably felt very alone. Anyway, he didn't come with us when we went back home.

"Gramp-gramp, you're here." I smiled when I saw my granddaughter running up to me when we had landed. She looked odd without the big belly. Plus I had never thought my little princess would be holding a baby either. Well, you know, besides when she would help other people deliver babies.

"Hello my sweet Senna." She smiled and held out the baby for me to hold. The baby had little tufts of brown hair and its eyes were closed. "Aw. Is this little Korra?" Senna told me it was and I took the baby from her.

"Oh how adorable." I had turned to look at Katara who was cooing over the baby. She had her hands close to Korra's, almost like she wanted to grab them. But at that moment, Korra opened her eyes and Katara froze in shock. She almost looked like her entire world had ended and began at the same time. She dropped to ground. I think she died before she had started to fall, when she first looked into Korra's eyes.

* * *

By Korra's first birthday, Zuko and Haru had died. Zuko's scar had become infected with some green oozy thingy and without Katara there to heal him, he didn't survive. Haru was killed when he tried to save some kid from being crushed by falling rocks. They kid was rescued but Haru wasn't fast enough to save himself. Toph was devastated. No one could find her after it happened, not even her daughter Lin. She sort of disappeared. In only a year, I had lost two of my friends, my brother-in-law/best friend, my sister, and I sort of lost my other friend. Yeah, it wasn't a great year.

Anyway, at Korra's birthday, we had some cake, some punch, and some other stuff. I really can't remember too well, mainly because of what happened _at_ the party. You see, when Senna was trying to get Korra to drink something, the drink would just continue to freeze every time the cup went to Korra's lips. It was kind of funny at first but then it just got to the point where it was annoying.

"Please drink something Korra." Korra was just shaking her head. Maybe she didn't like the punch. That made me think of Katara, who also didn't like punch when she was younger. Suddenly an idea popped into my head. I ran outside and grabbed a few icicles.

"Gramp-gramp, what are you doing?" I didn't answer her. Instead I gathered up all my remaining agility, which wasn't much I'm sad to say, and threw the icicles at Korra's face. Everyone screamed…except Korra. Before the icicles hit her face, they melted, splashing Korra in the face when they hit her. She giggled with delight.

"She's a…a…waterbender!" Yes, yes she is.

* * *

By the time Korra was three, she could do more than just melt icicles.

She could freeze the water _into_ icicles, hit people with floating water bottles, and even create snow. It took Katara years to do any of that stuff. My great-granddaughter was a waterbending protégé. It was amazing. But something felt off about the whole thing, I could feel it.

Unfortunately, I had no one to talk to. I was the only one left. In only two years I had lost every single one of my friends, including the love of my life, my darling Suki. I still had my kids, my grandkids, Korra, my niece and nephews. But it wasn't the same. I felt so alone.

But enough with all the sad stuff. You don't want to hear about the sad stuff. I know I don't. You want to hear about the good stuff. Let's see, Tenzin got married to a lovely young lady named Pema. She's a non-bender, like myself, and is very kind. Aang and Katara would have loved her. Kya told me in strict secrecy, which is why I am telling all of you lovely people, that the couple had been trying to have a child. I had already made a bet with Bumi that the first child would be an airbender. Kya was trying to convince us that it would be a waterbender. She clearly knows nothing about conceiving no babies, even though she has four kids already.

But back to Korra. This story is about her, well sort of. Anyway she was moving water like a pro. Hundreds of people were visiting the South Pole just to see her. All the masters wanted to train her. She was a legend before she could speak in coherent sentences.

"She has a lot to live up to." Lin's voice was soft when she said this, probably because she was talking about my sister, a great bender and healer, who was taken from this world too soon. She was in a lot of family member's shadows. It was going to be difficult to escape from that.

"Her waterbending will give her a fighting chance at least," I told her. I looked away from Korra and her training session with Kya to look at my best friend's daughter. The last two years weren't easy for her either. Tenzin broke up with her after, get this, sweet little Pema told him she loved him. That girl must have had a death wish or something. Only an idiot would mess with Lin. A few weeks after that a gang attacked Lin while she was making her rounds. She was distracted and it was easy for them to take her by surprise. They didn't stand a chance but were able to get in a few lucky shots before she beat them to a pulp. Now those scars are a reminder of what happens when she lets her guard down, when she lets emotions take control.

"She would be proud of you." Lin looked back at me with a confused stare. "Your mother, I mean. She would be proud of the woman you have become these past two years. Chief of Police, that is a big achievement."

"An achievement she already made," Lin said. She had started fumbling with her mother's space rock bracelet as she said that. I guess it was a constant reminder of what her mother did as a child.

"Yeah because she was the one who created them to begin with," I said. "She wasn't going to let someone else run what she started. That wasn't her style."

"No," she said, with a hint of a smile on her face. "I suppose it wasn't."

"Listen to me," I said, turning her head to face mine. "Our time…_cough_…has passed. It is your turn to have the adventures your mother had." I put my hands on her shoulders to steady myself. I suddenly felt weak all of a sudden. I tried to clear my throat. "You, Tenzin, Korra, it's your generation that…_cough_…is protecting the world. It's time for you to…_cough_…shape your own destiny."

"Pity Baselet." We looked down to find Korra tugging on Lin's arm, trying to get to Toph's bracelet.

"It's a rock Korra," Lin told her. She took the bracelet off and started forming objects with it, much to Korra's delight. She was squealing with joy. Her laugh was contagious and despite all the pain I felt, I couldn't help smiling too.

Then I fell down.

"Sokka?" Lin sounded confused, scared.

"Uncle Sokka!" Kya sounded desperate.

"Kya, he's dying. His heart rate is too low. Somebody get a healer!"

"Grampy-Gramp, look what I can do." Korra sounded excited, proud.

Then I felt something hit my head.

"Ow, what…_cough_…was that for?" I remember saying.

"We didn't do that," I could hear Lin and Kya saying. They sounded shocked, scared.

"Grampy-Gramp, wake up so I can show you." I turn my head with all the strength I had left. There was Toph's space rock on the ground. I should have known I would get hit in the head with that thing eventually. I just always assumed it would be from Toph.

"Sokka you're not going to believe this."

"Uncle Sokka, what do we do?"

The rock was floating, in mid-air. No illusion, no Lin, no airbendy magic. It was all Korra.

_When she first looked into Korra's eyes…_

Those eyes, so full of hope. How did I not notice it before?

_She isn't stupid. She's going to be a great Avatar…_

The next Avatar is a girl. How did we not hear that?

_The avatar is coming," he said. He looked at me when he said it._

That cheeky monk knew all along.

* * *

**This is also based on the theory that was going on at the time that Korra was Sokka's descendant. I liked that theory so I decided to make a story about it. **

**So they told us that by the beginning of LOK, all the characters from ATLA were dead. Fine then, I'll try to make it as canon as possible. I'll kill them all. So Aang's dead. Check. Now lets kill Katara. Alright. Now Haru and Zuko. Well I've written enough for now. I'll stop. Fast forward a year. We've got some names now. Aang's kids and Toph's kid. Well I don't feel like writing today but I'll update it. Fast forward another year. Look who's still alive...Katara. And Zuko. The two people I killed off first. What? They told us no characters were...whatever. I'm just going to write my first AU story. So this was born from the ashes of their lies or something like that. The names are canon sort of.**

**Review with what you think about Korra being related to Sokka. **

**_Avatar Rikki_**


End file.
